The present invention relates generally to textile yarn creels and, more particularly, to such creels of the type wherein a plurality of yarn transport tubes are employed for individually conveying a plurality of yarns from the creel to an associated textile machine or the like.
Over recent years, it has become an increasingly widespread practice in the textile industry throughout the world to utilize tubular conduits to transport textile yarns from one location to another. This practice enables a large number of yarns to be transported together in a relatively compact area while still maintaining the yarns separate from one another. Further, the use of such yarn transporting tubes shields the yarns to prevent accumulation of lint thereon as well as to prevent the release of fibrous lint from the yarns into the ambient atmosphere. For example, a common situation in which yarn transport tubes of this type have been widely used is the feeding of plural yarns from a creel supporting a plurality of yarn packages to a textile machine utilizing the yarns, e.g., a circular knitting machine, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,138 for a Textile Yarn Creel. Typically, conventional small-diameter plastic tubing is utilized for such yarn transport tubes.
As will be understood, in initially setting up a creel of the above-described type, it is necessary to thread the individual yarns from the yarn packages supported on the creel through the respective tubes. Likewise, when yarn breakages occur during the ongoing operation of the creel, it is often necessary to rethread the broken yarn through its associated tube. Conventionally, the threading of yarn transport tubes is accomplished by either blowing or sucking a yarn through its associated tube utilizing a conventional hand-held air nozzle connected to a source of pressurized air or to a vacuum source. Specifically, the creel operator initially inserts the leading end of yarn into the end of its associated tube disposed at the creel. When utilizing a pressurized air nozzle, the operator then manually places the nozzle at the same end of the tube and actuates the nozzle to blow the yarn through the tube. When using a suction nozzle, the operator proceeds to the opposite end of the tube at the associated textile machine whereat the operator places the suction nozzle to the opposite end of the tube and actuates the nozzle to suction the yarn through the tube.
While such conventional yarn threading techniques adequately serve the intended purpose, several disadvantages exist. First, the initial set-up of such a tube-type creel is made relatively time consuming by the necessity for the operator to manually thread each tube utilizing a single hand-held air nozzle. Moreover, the hose which necessarily extends from the nozzle to a point of connection with the compressed air or suction source makes it at least somewhat inconvenient and difficult for the operator to manipulate the nozzle and hose assembly in and about the creel and the associated textile machine without disturbing its operating components, this being particularly problematic when threading a broken yarn.